Automatic freight-car lock



'L @Nw July 14, 1925. 1,546,216

s. J. ELLIS ET Al.

AUTOMATIC FREIGHT CAR LOCK Filed may 11. 192s 'Z/ *Z0 l llllr ZZ /ggwuenow Samuel JElis,

- William? Smith HomerGWeHs anotan;

atented July 14., 1925.

UNITEDv STATES SAMUEL J'. ELLIS, WILLIAM P.

SMITH, AND HOMER G. WELLS, OE MEMPHIS,

TENNESSEE.

- A L AUTOMATIC FREIGHT-CAR LOCK.

Application filed May 11, 1923. semina. 638,394.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL J. ELLIS, WILLIAM PRESTON SMITH, and HOMERGr. WELLS, citizens of the United States, residing at Memphis, Ain the,county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, vhave invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Autoymatic Freight-Car Locks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our said invention relates to an automatic lock for freight car doorsand it isv an object of the same to provide means whereby an additionalseal is vapplied to Vfreight car doors in a manner to insure that thedoor 'cannot be opened without 4breaking a seal and calling `attentionto the condition of the car.

Y AY further object ofthe invention is to provide a door of thecharacter described with means for holding it in either open or closedposition. Y Y

Y Still another object: 's to do away with the necessity for applyingcleats vto the doors of lfreight Vcars to prevent them from opening dueto rough handling orby reason of breakage of the ordinary fastenings.invention provides in effect an automatic cleat, which also preventsloss of doors by sliding 0E the guides.` l I Referring to theaccompanying draw- "in'gs, which are made a part hereof 'and on whichsimilar vreference charactersindicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a freight car' with the device of ourlinvention applied thereto; f

i Figure 2, an elevation on an enlarged scale lpart of thecar;l

Figure 3;

Figure 3,' a horizontal section of Figure' 2; and" y Figure 4, a sectiono-n line 4-4 of In the drawings reference lcharacter 1Q indicates afreight carof conventional Iform having a Adoor'l'l sli dably'supportedat its upper end. Such a door is usually provided `at its forward sidefwith ahasp'andl staple, oranalogous locking device, indi-Y catedconventionally at 11', to which is attached a seal whereby an indicationis given vshould the car beentered by opening the' door, as in suchcaseth'e sealwill bev broken. Itis possible, however,tol enterand rob acar without` breaking fthe sealgj as,v for Our' example, by removing thedoor guide at therear end of the door. The door is then sprung out andafter robbery of the car, the guide isA replaced andthe robbery is notdiscovered until the car arrives at its destination. In such case thereis no way of determining where the robbery occurred as the seal isYstill'intact. Another method frequently employed by thieves consists inraising the door over or out of the guides atvthe lower end-thereof andthen springing the door away fromxtheicar at 'the'lower corner farthest.from the lock so as not to disturb the hasp and thev seal.

To prevent unauthorized entry "intothe car without the leaving ofvtraces We add to the ordinary hasp and seal a lock attached to the lowerend of the door and preferably near the lower rear corner, this'position being especially effective to prenected to the first by a pinv15 extending through eyes on the two parts. The strap 13 isbent downabout the end of the door 'as shown in Fig. 3 and a spring 16 is coiledabout the pin near its ends, washers '17. be- 85 ing insertedi betweenthe spring andv the Vheaded ends of the pin. The'eXtreme ends ofthespring are benttoward each other and restl against the bent part of thestrap 13,

while the middle portion of the spring lies 90 on the strap 14.l In thismanner we provide V means `for pressing the strap' 14 strongly v:towardthe side of the car. J provided on the strap A handle 18 is 14 forlifting the strap away from the oar.

At the free end the strap 14 is bent toward the side of the carV to forma tongue 19 'adapted to enter a depression in the side of the car. Thisdepression is provided by cutting out a part of the side andinserting100 Atherein a fitting'2O'providedv at opposite Vsides of the tonguewithv openings 21 eX- tending from the outer face ofthe 'fitting 2 0 andcurved toward eachother so as to provide passages V22openin`g into thespace 105 occupied bythe tongue just above the tongue as indicated inFigs.` 3 and 4. A

seal of the ordinary type vis inserted through one of the openings 21and forced through thoy @wo passages ond t `roogl'r the assogo in thetongue, or over the tongue if t e same is made of sheet metal bystamplng or diecastig, vhioh tle ends! aref in the usual manner to sealthe c ar.

A deeper depression in the ittmgQO provides a space to receive a pairof't\:nigr1es Q3" tweenthetwo. ttngs It will. be seen that when thel.door is silid open. the latch will hooi( into the depression",in4 thefitting 25 in'the sagmemannr as in.. the tting 2G- and thisY is o use.toprevent the door, lfrom sliding baci( and` forthasfthe car is startedand Stopped orv tilted up, and down. in travelinl .It willbeobvioustothose skilled int e art thatour device maybe modified inmanyaysfwithout. departing. from the spirlt` of efinvention, andthereforeWe. donot limit` ourselvesto What. is Shownin the drawingsand,"describedI inthe specification, but only 3 v asm ated. in thelappended; claims.

Having.. thus fully'descrbed ourY saidA in g vention, iwhat. weclaim asnew and desirev tij-.secure b Letters Patent, is.; v

1.Y ias ning devicefor. frei ht, oar doors comprising amember. for attacment tothe car door, 'a swingavble member hinged to said firstmentionedhmember .andV adapted normali held in. position to ride ainst.the. si oof of` apted to secured.` in. the. ,side of, the

"cari toreceive a portion ofsa'id swingable iehbi', for securing.A thedooriny al prede-v teiuiii'ndl osition substantially as set forth.

an f5 tol blewnormaIl l against thev si e of. the car, and a fittinginfthegside of the. oar providing a socket` f sterling device for reightoar Vorscomprising a member for attachment to the car door, a swingablemember hinged to .said first, mentioned member. and adapted held. inposition to ride for a. portion, of said swingable members ,'r.y sec'rinthe door;- in a predetermined Ecirsition,l said. fitting and swinga-blemem- `haiinga ertures. for' the reoeptionof a! 'j seahsfubstantillyasset forth.

` n afreightoar, aspringressed latch movin with-t e door, means o(zo-operate thorevvithfor holding the. door inf closed.J

means `to co-op'erate therewith. for i 0I ing the door in openposit1on,` and a the Acar, and means.

strap` extending between said means on which the end of the latch muytravel, substantially as set forth.

4. A fastening device for freight car doors comprising a., member im"attachment to. the door, a swingable member hinged to said firstmentioned member and adapted to be normally held in position to rideagainst the side of the car, said member having a handle` for releasingsaid door, a socket member on the car for engagement with, theSwingatlo, member for `siasociog che door a. predetermined position,subscootallyi ois sot forth. 4 Y

5. In aj 'freight oar havin n a sliding door with locking' means at itsaward edge,ha lOCkA at the rear edge ofV the door com ising a hingedmember scoured( to the voor, o bearing otomont carried: by said' hingodmember, and means on the car whereby a sliding commotion `may', boiliade betwecatho oar and the bearing element, substantially assetfffrtli.v k v y 6. A lock for. freight car dorscoinprising o Sci-:opfor oon-neotonoto the como memberhingod to the strap havingo tot;` o atits free ond, a fitting on they car providing a socket to receivev said.ton e, and moons on the. Vfitting; whereby a soa may bo applied toholdethe ondy ofthe tongue., subscantiarly as: sot forth.

l 7. In a 4freight car` door, a lock comprismg. a. strap for attachmentto, the door, a member. ihmgod thereto for. oriovennootv towardand. fromthosi'do ofr the cana spring. pressing, said `iner'nber toward. the. or,a'

latchsat the free end of the member, and a fitting secured to the sideof' the ear providing a socket to receive saidlatomsbstantially assetforth.

4 8'. Iii a freight. car door, a I'oolicom'prising ai strap forattachment` to; the door, a monitor hmgod thereto for movement. to-

`Wardand fromthe side of the car,.a-spi1g pressing. said'y member towardthe' ou,

atch at the free end ofthe member,.alfittmg` secured to thesideofthoAcar providingr a 'socket to receive said latch, and` a handle on thehinged member: fory withdrawin the latch from said engagement,subsiantlally, as setvforth,

9. In a freight car door, a lock comprising a strap for attachment.tothe door,.afmem bor hinged` theroto for movement: toward and from theAsido. ortho oar,}a spri prossingr said membertwardothe car, a atch atthe free endofthe member, `a fitting secured Vto lthe sidefof the carproviding, a socket. to

receive said latch, v.a handle onthe hinged 'member fory withdrawingthe.. ,latch from saidien agement, a tongue at the free end dffthe ltch,and guiding means'fon the fitting for locating `a SealtoA secure saidtoniiue, subantiall" as setfrth- 1 f 1U. Iri "o rght oar' door, a lookcomprising a strap for attachment to the door, a member hinged theretofor movement toward and from the side of the car, a spring pressing saidmember. toward the car, a latch at the free end of the member,

a roller on the latch, and a fitting securedv to the side o-f the carproviding a socket to receive said latch, substantially as set forth.

11. In a freight car door, a lock comprising a strap for attachment tothe door, a member hinged thereto for movement toward and from the sideof the car, a spring pressing said member toward the car, a latch at thefree end of the member, a roller on the latch, a tting secured to theside of the car providing a socket to receive said latch, a secondfitting near the rear end of the car to receive the latch for lockingthe door in open position, and a track between said fittings on whichsaid roller travels, substantially as set forth.

12. In a freight car door, a lock comprising a part secured to the door,a member hinged thereto having at its forward end tongues extending atright angles to the body of said member, a roller supported between saidtongues, an intermediate tongue projecting in the direction of the body,and a fitting attached to the side of the car having a socket to receivethe roller and also having a depression with opposed lateral passagesleading therefrom through which a seal may be inserted through thetongue, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals at Memphis,Tennessee this 30th day of April, A. D. nineteen hundred andtwenty-three.

SAMUEL J. ELLIS. [1.. s.] WILLIAM P. SMITH. [1.. s] HOMER G. WELLS. [Ls] Witnesses:

JOHN W. FARLEY, F. M. BAILEY.

